


There's Something About Drift

by Drazyrohk



Series: Tropes [2]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Hand wavy science, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Misuse of power, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tropes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 17:44:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19835347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drazyrohk/pseuds/Drazyrohk
Summary: It all started with Drift. Rather, with a conversation about Drift. A conversation between Brainstorm and Perceptor...





	There's Something About Drift

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the second story in this series where I have been challenged by my best friend to write humorous stories exploring every popular fanfic trope! Set in the same universe as 'Made For TV Movie.'

It all started with Drift. Rather, with a conversation about Drift. A conversation between Brainstorm and Perceptor, one that started idly while the former worked on some new invention and the latter watched to make sure it wasn’t a time machine or some sort of WMD.

“You’re not serious.” Brainstorm said, his hands halting halfway through the act of soldering something to his new device. 

“When am I anything but serious?” Perceptor asked mildly, and flicked a digit against the screen of the data pad he held. 

“True. But still. Drift?” Brainstorm’s wings shifted upwards and he frowned. As he turned, he set down the tools he was using, folded his arms across his chest and leaned his hips against the table.

“That is what I said.” Perceptor glanced up at him, one brow lifted. 

“Okay. I’m not really seeing it.” Shaking his helm, Brainstorm raised his chin. “I mean, I get certain aspects, but I’m not seeing the overall appeal.”

“Certain aspects?” Perceptor asked dryly and lowered his data pad.

“Well, yeah. Those thighs, very nice. The finials make him look like a petro rabbit. Sort of cute.” Brainstorm shrugged. “But you can’t exactly say he’s got a great pedigree.” 

“He’s a bot, Brainstorm. Not a turbofox.” Perceptor snorted. “And if you’re referring to his past, well, you’re hardly one to talk about that. And consider our captain-” 

“I’d rather not.” Brainstorm interrupted. 

“Not Megatron. The other one.” Perceptor said. 

“I know.” Brainstorm replied. “The shine is all on the outside, Percy.” 

“There’s no shame in admiring someone’s shine. And you’re wrong. Drift is, at his center, a good person. Unlike the other repentant former Decepticon aboard the _Lost Light,_ I believed Drift when he changed sides and adopted the Autobrand.” Perceptor said with a flap of his hand. 

“Eeeehhh.” Brainstorm said as he cringed subtly. “Under Rodimus’ influence, do you really think Drift is going to stay a good person? The captain is an enabler.” 

“To a point.” Perceptor argued. “And I firmly believe that this time, Rodimus really has learned his lesson. You can tell he’s struggling with Drift’s loss.” 

“You make it sound so dire. Drift was exiled, he wasn’t executed.” Brainstorm said as he turned back to his project. His spark wasn’t in it anymore, not this one at least. “I honestly don’t know why he’s mourning when there are people aboard who actually lost loved ones.” 

“Hm.” Perceptor offered in response. 

It was the uninterested grunt that really got the ball rolling. Brainstorm wasn’t used to Perceptor agreeing with him, in fact their whole relationship was based around healthy and near continuous discourse. But to be dismissed like that? Without any follow up snark? 

That was cold. That was unacceptable. Drift wasn’t a smart match for Perceptor and Brainstorm was going to prove it. With science. 

Brainstorm wound up simply repurposing one of his older inventions, since he was in a hurry and the technology was practically already there. 

“I’m sorry, it’s a what now?” Perceptor asked once the device itself was complete and Brainstorm had presented it to him triumphantly. 

“I literally explained it to you five seconds ago, but it’s alright. Witnessing acts of genius can indeed scramble one’s processor. I’ll go slower this time.” Brainstorm reset his vocalizer and held the device aloft. “This is a machine that reveals your Conjunx Intentum! You press the button and the name of your soulmate will be revealed to you.” 

“Brainstorm.” Perceptor said in a long suffering tone. “That isn’t genius. It’s fantasy.” 

“See, that’s what’s so great about being a scientific mastermind, Perceptor. You can turn things that are fantasy into fact.” Brainstorm said cheerfully. 

“Like a time machine.” Perceptor sighed. 

“Like a time machine. And since I already created one of those, it shouldn’t be such a stretch of the imagination that I was able to create one of these! Go ahead and press it.” Brainstorm thrust the unseeming device before himself, bringing it closer to Perceptor. 

“I am not pressing that. Even if I did buy into the idea of ‘Conjunx Intentum,’ I have no desire to know who mine may or may not be.” Perceptor rolled his optics. 

He rolled. His optics. Rolled them skyward very dramatically. That was uncalled for. 

“Humour me?” Brainstorm requested. 

“I’d rather not.” Perceptor had his previously rolled optics narrowed now. “How do I know it’s not some sort of bomb?” 

“Who do you take me for, Wheeljack? It’s not a bomb.” Brainstorm scoffed. “Come on Perceptor. I’m trying to prove a point, so press the button.” 

“I don’t-” 

“Press the button.” 

“Brainstorm, no-”

“Press it, Percy.” 

“I am not pressing the button!” Perceptor snapped, his EMF flickered with irritation and Brainstorm could see that he had perhaps reached the end of his somewhat shorter than expected rope. “Stop pestering me! What is this even about?” 

“Like I said. Proving a point.” Brainstorm said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. “Luckily for me, I don’t need you to press the button specifically. I designed it to have an area of effect.” 

Before Perceptor could protest, Brainstorm pressed the button. The device did not, as predicted by the very skeptical microscope, explode. It did give off a bit of smoke and promptly fell apart, but it could have been much worse. 

Perceptor flinched and recoiled. Brainstorm gave the remains of the device a wary look, but soon resolved it wasn’t going to blow up and let out a crow of triumph. 

“And why are you celebrating exactly? It didn’t even do anything!” Perceptor stated, his irritation still evident. 

“Sure it did! Look! It totally worked!” Brainstorm could see the mark forming on Perceptor’s forearm, a glyph of some sort. “Oh. No, nevermind, it didn’t.” 

Perceptor noticed the glyph, did a double take. He lifted his arm and stared at it, then looked at Brainstorm accusingly. “Is this permanent?!” He demanded. 

“I hope not.” Brainstorm muttered in return. He looked at himself, looked for his own mark. There was only one way this situation could get worse. 

And there it was. Not the worst it could have been, but certainly not what he’d expected. Blossoming into visibility on his arm was the very same glyph but in his own handwriting. 

“Okay, so obviously something went wrong,” Brainstorm observed as he looked at the glyph. “But the fact of the matter remains, the device worked.” 

“It certainly did something, I will give you that much credit. But I would like to know why both of us seem to be sporting Drift’s name on our frames.” Perceptor said in a glacial tone. “I thought you said you didn’t see the appeal.” 

“I don’t. Really. Honestly. I am not attracted to Drift! So I don’t know why his name is on my arm.” Brainstorm said quickly. That tone of voice only came when Perceptor was going into ‘sniper mode.’ “But I’ll fix it.” 

“Like you fixed things during The Incident?” Perceptor asked. 

“Hey, I did fix that!” Brainstorm protested. 

“No, it wore off on its own after a while, you and I were unsuccessful in our attempts. So let us hope that this experiment has the same result.” Perceptor growled. 

“And just in case it doesn’t, I’ll get on finding a way to fix it immediately,” Brainstorm said. “I feel the same way as you, I don’t want to live the rest of my life parading around wearing Drift’s name around my wrist.” 

His communicator was ringing across the room where he’d left it on a workbench by the door. Brainstorm and Perceptor both turned their helms towards it before they exchanged a nervous (for Brainstorm at least) glance. That ringtone was reserved for the times that Ratchet called. 

“Huh.” Brainstorm mused. 

“You had better answer it. He’s remarkably stubborn and persistent.” Perceptor muttered in response. 

“Yeah.” Rubbing the back of his helm before glancing back down at the mark on his forearm, Brainstorm sighed. He retrieved his communicator and answered it, optics squinted as he smiled cheerfully behind his mask.

Before he could get out a greeting, however, Ratchet’s voice asked loudly, “What are you doing down there?” 

“Uhhhhhhh… science. For the betterment of robot-kind,” Brainstorm replied. “Why do you ask?” 

“You had better get up here.” Ratchet growled, then hung up on him. 

Brainstorm stared at his communicator in frustration. Everyone really was on their best behaviour today. 

“I am going to just come out and ask you, because I feel that’s the easiest way to get a straight answer. Did you turn me into a bomb?” Ratchet asked harshly the second Brainstorm walked through the door of the medical bay. 

“Seriously? You too?” Brainstorm asked and realized the second Ratchet’s optics widened that it probably wasn’t the reaction the medic had been hoping for. “Everyone seems to be assuming I’m Wheeljack today. No, I didn’t turn you into a bomb. Why would you ask me that?” 

By way of answering, Ratchet extended his arm to display what very much appeared to be a countdown on his wrist. “Because of this.” He grunted. 

“I can see why you would be worried. Sorry, but I honestly have _no_ idea what that is.” Brainstorm said as he took hold of Ratchet’s arm and leaned in to get a closer look. 

“Brainstorm.” Ratchet’s tone was as cold as Perceptor’s had been. “What the frag is that?” 

“Oh this?” Brainstorm released his hold on Ratchet and waved the arm that sported Drift’s glyph. “This is an unfortunate side effect of my own hubris. It’s nothing, it’ll probably go away. And if not, Perceptor will find a way to fix it.” 

“I want to ask but somehow I don’t want to know.” Ratchet put a servo over his face and shook his helm, then pinched the bridge of his nose. “All signs seem to point to my departure being for the best though.” 

“Departure?” Brainstorm raised a brow in confusion. “You’re leaving us?” 

“Yes. I was hoping to have done so before getting caught up in anymore of your shenanigans but I guess I was too late for that.” Ratchet muttered. 

“What makes you think this is related?” Brainstorm asked with a quirk of his brow.

“What makes you think it isn’t?” Ratchet countered. “It happened at the same time, it has to be related. There are no coincidences on this ship.” 

“Okay, that’s not fair for starters. And I really don’t think you’re right about that. It could be anything.” Brainstorm argued.

“It’s never just ‘anything,’ not when you’re involved.” Ratchet said, and of course he employed his signature air quotes. 

“I am going to side with Ratchet on this one.” First Aid called from across the room. “I definitely think it’s all related.” 

“And why is that?” Brainstorm asked as the other medic approached them. 

“Because of this!” First Aid said cheerfully, then he raised his hand and held it so his palm was facing Ratchet and Brainstorm. 

Drift’s name was scrawled on said palm in First Aid’s adorable chicken scratch. 

“I see.” Brainstorm muttered, one hand cupped under his chin. “This is a good sign.” 

“How do you figure that?” Ratchet asked, and Brainstorm couldn’t help but notice he was much less perturbed by First Aid’s reveal than when he’d noticed the glyph on Brainstorm. 

“Well, if I’ve got one, and First Aid’s got one, then that means the one Percy’s got doesn’t really mean anything.” Brainstorm chirped. “So I might still be right. Unless you’ve also got a thing for Drift, First Aid.” 

Ratchet stared at him with disdain. First Aid gazed at him curiously. When the latter raised a finger and began to speak, the former reached out to take hold of his arm. 

“Just don’t.” Ratchet said. “I don’t want to know.” 

“Okay.” First Aid said softly in reply, disappointment mingling with the intense curiosity in his field. 

“If this countdown has something to do with Drift, I’m going to use it to my advantage.” Ratchet said as he backed away. “I have things to take care of. So do you, so go away and get on that.” He instructed Brainstorm. 

“Right. I’ll do that.” Brainstorm saluted, turned on his heel and trotted to the door. 

The area of effect of the device must have been a little larger than originally anticipated. It wasn’t as bad as The Incident but another shipwide wave of strangeness caused by yours truly wasn’t going to make Brainstorm any friends. It was likely best for him to get to the lab and figure this out.


End file.
